Business Echo - Jacqueline Tong

At Okanagan Echo, we’re passionate about amplifying the voices of local entrepreneurs, innovators, and change-makers.

Business Echo is an interview series celebrating the incredible individuals shaping the Okanagan’s business landscape. Through candid conversations, we’ll dive into their journeys, challenges, and triumphs—offering inspiration and insights along the way.

Today, we are featuring Jacqueline Tong. She is the founder of Rozé Events - an Event and Wedding Planning company in the Okanagan that started 9 years ago in Alberta.

OE: Hello! thank you for granting this interview, could you please tell us a little about yourself?

JT: I am an Event and Wedding Planner currently living in the beautiful Okanagan with my two dogs, Travis and Bao Bao. I love to snowboard and paddle board so living in between two lakes and surrounded by the mountains has been the best experience since branching out in 2019. I originally grew up in Alberta and started my company there in 2016, so it'll always be home and I still enjoy road tripping back home with great views and stops along the way. You'll catch me checking out local wineries & cideries especially if there's outdoor movie nights, cool pop up entertainment events throughout the Okanagan like Peach Festival or a Saturday morning farmers' market with my friends in BC or Edmonton.

OE: What is your business all about and what inspired you to start your business?

JT: Rozé Events is an event and wedding planning company that services the Okanagan and Central Alberta. We are a custom tailored solution for all your event needs, may it be a wedding, engagement party, bachelorette party, corporate event, or any other event from designing to planning to execution we're there to ensure that your event is unique and memorable - It's All in the Details! My family went to a lot of rotary functions as a kid so I think the passion for events started young. I was always hosting the parties or get togethers for friends and when I finished my HR diploma I realized I didn't love what I was doing so finally decided it was time to do what I loved as a career. In 2016 I opened Rozé Events Co. and graduated from my Special Events Management Certificate program.

OE: What was the biggest challenge when starting out, and how did you overcome it?

JT: Honestly, networking and financials. When I started in 2016, Instagram wasn't the business tool it is today and TikTok wasn't around so putting yourself out there in-person or messaging a potential client/vendor through social media was a bit intimidating as well as finding the channels and connections that would actually generate paid clients was tough. Financials tie into this because wedding shows and WeddingWire were the two biggest ways but as a small start up business and being determined to do it without taking out a loan/ line of credit paying those $1,500+ things were difficult.

OE: Have you faced any unique challenges as a woman in your space? How have you navigated them?

JT: Definitely, a lot of the time when you are approaching businesses to work with or are planning corporate/trade-show event you are working with a lot of male decision makers that have done something one way for so long or having a female they don't know beyond a name, you have to come in with the right amount of assertion and be able to hold your own when it comes to setting realistic event expectations. Equally, being a rather woman dominated industry there is a lot of "competition" in your region where sometimes we can forget that we need to be supporting each other and working together because one Event Planner is different from the next in a role within the Industry that is quite alienating - most Event Planners work on their own (not with a team like photography/videography, Audio/Visual, catering).

OE: Can you share a moment in your career that you’re particularly proud of?

JT: The most proud moment of my career was getting a plaque award when I was working at Big White as the Food and Beverage Events Manager for assisting in the planning and execution of the International Airline Ski Federation Championships (IASF).

OE: How do you balance running a business with other aspects of your life?

JT: I would like to thank Main St. Blenz coffee in Penticton, just kidding (kind of). It comes down to having really supportive friends and family. I've had a lot of friends offer to help in the beginning which meant the world that they believed in me enough to sacrifice their personal time. They also understand when I disappear cause it's busy season, but make sure to force me out of the office to do the things I love like paddle boarding, snowboarding, hiking, or just unplugging for an evening. Makings friends in the industry helps out a ton too because they understand your struggles and give great advice or jump in to help if needed as well.

OE: What’s a piece of advice you’d give to other women looking to start their own business?

JT: When you feel like you are losing your confidence know that there's great people behind you mentioning your name in rooms you aren't in and that there are women in business in the Okanagan that are really a great resource. Also, looking back now that $1,500 line of credit would've helped a lot in the beginning with marketing and saved a lot of headaches because when you work hard and believe in what your business does and represents that will come back in ten folds.

OE: What are your goals for your business in the next 5–10 years?

JT: To be able to execute a few great community events that I have been sitting on that will hopefully become annual events in the Okanagan and to complete a wedding in Europe somewhere!